Troubled Times Tied to Troubled Teens Later On

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Children who were infants during times of high unemployment rates appeared to be at risk of subsequent adolescent substance abuse and delinquent behavior, a study found.

However, there were no significant associations with economic conditions at the time of birth and later use of hard drugs and assaultive behavior.

Children born during periods of economic uncertainty -- as reflected by high rates of unemployment -- are at risk for the development of problem behaviors during adolescence, a national study showed.

Among a cohort of children who were 1 year old during the recessions of the early 1980s, a 1% increase over the mean in the regional unemployment rate was associated with a greater likelihood of adolescent marijuana use (OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.14), according to Seethalakshmi Ramanathan, MBBS, DPM, of the State University of New York in Syracuse, and colleagues.

That degree of regional unemployment also was linked with a greater risk for teenage criminal activity, with an odds ratio for arrest between ages 12 and 16 of 1.17 (95% CI 1.09 to 1.25), the researchers reported online in Archives of General Psychiatry.

Concerns have been raised about the effects of the ongoing economic crisis on the psychosocial health of society, primarily in the short-term domains of jobs and housing.

Previous research has confirmed the detrimental effects on families directly affected by unemployment as well as those only indirectly affected, such as through wage cuts and job insecurity, but the longer-term effects on children have been less well studied.

To explore this, Ramanathan and colleagues analyzed data from the 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, which included more than 8,000 children born between 1980 and 1984.

Participants and parents provided information on demographics, health, and behavioral difficulties during multiple interviews, and local unemployment rates were obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Covariables included in the analyses included age, sex, ethnicity, maternal age and parenting style, and whether the child was living in a foster home or had siblings belonging to gangs.

Along with marijuana use and risk of arrest, a 1% increase in the regional unemployment rate also was associated with these behaviors during adolescence:

Smoking, OR 1.07 (95% CI 1.03 to 1.11)

Alcohol use, OR 1.06 (95% CI 1.02 to 1.10)

Gang affiliation, OR 1.09 (95% CI 1 to 1.19)

Petty theft, OR 1.06 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.10)

Major theft, OR 1.11 (95% CI 1.05 to 1.18)

No associations were seen for assaults, hard drug abuse, or use of handguns, however.

Further analysis comparing the behavioral trajectory of children born during periods when unemployment was below 7.25% versus those born when rates exceeded 9.25% showed similar results.

For example, a 15-year-old who was 1 year of age when unemployment was in the low range had a 20% likelihood of using marijuana, but that number rose to 25% when unemployment was in the high range, the researchers explained.

Examination of the effects of covariates determined that having a sibling who belonged to a gang was the strongest predictor of adolescent behavior problems, being associated with an odds ratio of 1.61 for the use of hard drugs (P<0.001) and of 10.57 for joining a gang (P<0.001).

Maternal "uninvolved parenting style" also was linked with an elevated risk, with an odds of 1.50 for arrest (P=0.01) and 2.77 for theft (P<0.001) in the teenage offspring.

The family's individual socioeconomic status, such as being in the top or bottom 5%, did not appear to significantly influence the development of adolescent problem behaviors, the researchers noted.

"Irrespective of socioeconomic status, unfavorable economic conditions during infancy may create circumstances that can have an adverse effect on the psychological development of the infant and lead to the development of behavioral problems," they observed.

Potential mechanisms by which the larger economic climate could influence childhood and adolescent behavior included disruptions of family stability, parenting ability, and childhood bonding with the parents.

Among steps that could be taken by society to alleviate these problems are increases in unemployment benefits and public assistance payments, as well as broadening the availability of mental health services for both parents and children during periods of economic hardship.

"Basic measures aimed at improving nutrition, safety, and education can also provide much-needed respite during these times of crisis," concluded Ramanathan and colleagues.

The authors reported no financial disclosures.

Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD Emeritus Professor, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Dorothy Caputo, MA, BSN, RN, Nurse Planner

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